Friday, April 22, 2011

Warmist James Hansen: "If we also burn the tar sands and tar shale, I believe the Venus syndrome is a dead certainty"

Is runaway climate change possible? Hansen’s take
After the ice is gone, would Earth proceed to the Venus syndrome, a runaway greenhouse effect that would destroy all life on the planet, perhaps permanently? While that is difficult to say based on present information, I’ve come to conclude that if we burn all reserves of oil, gas, and coal, there is a substantial chance we will initiate the runaway greenhouse. If we also burn the tar sands and tar shale, I believe the Venus syndrome is a dead certainty.
Vernon Morning Star - Climate clock is ticking
Venus has a temperature of 450°C (842°F), hot enough to melt lead. It once held water but the runaway greenhouse effect heated the planet so much that the water molecules were destroyed.

The sun's energy hitting Earth is slightly more than half that of Venus. Burning the tar sands and tar shale could, over time, put Earth's temperature to around 225°C (437°F).
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No one can say for sure when business as usual will end human life, but some of the most notable climate scientists in the world suggest that continuing as we are, humanity or at least civilization, will be terminated in about 89 years, the end of this century.

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